Over 170 former New York Collegiate Baseball League players competed in professional baseball leagues across the United States, Asia and Europe during the 2009 professional baseball season. The record-setting number of NYCBL alums playing professionally comes on the heels of a June 2009 Major League Baseball entry draft that saw an NYCBL record 42 current and/or former players selected.

Eleven former NYCBL players competed at the Major League level in 2009 with a twelfth currently listed on a 40-man roster. Those players include: Jeremy Accardo (Wellsville ‘02/Toronto), Dallas Braden (Hornell ’03/Oakland), Brett Carroll (Hornell ‘02/Florida), Rajai Davis (Hornell ‘00/Oakland), Brendan Harris (Schenectady ‘99/Minnesota), Tim Hudson (Hornell ‘94/Atlanta), Josh Kinney (Hornell ‘98/St. Louis), Brad Lidge (Ithaca ‘96/Philadelphia), John McDonald (Geneva ‘93/Cohocton), Jason Motte (Rome ‘01/St. Louis) and Hunter Pence (Schenectady ’02/Houston). Casper Wells (Saratoga ‘04/Detroit) spent the summer with Double-A Erie however he is currently assigned to the Detroit Tigers 40-man roster. Lidge, Harris and Motte all made appearances in the 2009 MLB postseason (Lidge pitched in the World Series) while Hunter Pence played in the 2009 MLB All-Star Game.

The Watertown Wizards also set a franchise record with 15 former players on professional rosters. The Purple and Gold had a record-number of five former players taken in the 2009 draft as well. Eight Wizards played in the minor leagues including George Brown (’05), Jordan Kreke (’08), Michael Lyon (’05), Levi Maxwell (’05), Ryan Quigley (’07), Chris Rosenbaum (’04, ’06), Matt Vieira (’06) and Jacob Wiley (’06, ’08). Seven other Wizards played in independent leagues including Matt Davis (’06), Justin Mallett (’02), Vinny Pennell (’05), Michael Schellinger (’05), Jeff Vincent (’04), Nathan Kafka (’09 Asst. Coach) and Stephen Spragg (’02, ’03).

Chris Rosenbaum became the third Wizard to reach the Triple-A level when he was promoted from the High Class-A California League’s Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League’s Salt Lake Bees in early July; Rosenbaum would finish the season in Rancho Cucamonga however. Justin Mallett (’02) and Daylan Childress (’00) are the only other two former Wizards that have reached AAA.

Here is a breakdown of the final overall NYCBL numbers at the end of the regular season by level (does not include players who were released during the season who were counted in overall total):

Major League Baseball: 11

Overseas: Three

AAA: Five

AA: Nine  

Hi-A: 22

Lo-A: 23

SS-A: 13

SS-R: 22

Independents: 53

Season tickets for the 2010 Watertown Wizards regular season schedule are now on sale. For more information or to purchase tickets please call 315-212-4096.